Glue work doesn’t get rewarded. That I agree with. However I don’t agree with the conclusion.
Do Glue Work for projects that you are leading, projects that you are accountable for. As a senior+ engineer that is all your projects. So should you prioritize glue work for all of them?
From my experience, there is a delicate balance. There’s Glue work that you need to get right every time, else risk getting fired. E.g. Technical specifications for your project. There’s glue work that you need to put on the back burner every time until it becomes a visible problem that management will appreciate you take care of. E.g tech debt, addressing strands that are getting dropped. Then there is glue work that you do to make your own life easier. E.g. Onboarding docs, demos etc.
Do Glue Work for projects that you are leading, projects that you are accountable for. As a senior+ engineer that is all your projects. So should you prioritize glue work for all of them?
From my experience, there is a delicate balance. There’s Glue work that you need to get right every time, else risk getting fired. E.g. Technical specifications for your project. There’s glue work that you need to put on the back burner every time until it becomes a visible problem that management will appreciate you take care of. E.g tech debt, addressing strands that are getting dropped. Then there is glue work that you do to make your own life easier. E.g. Onboarding docs, demos etc.